Character Creation
Basic Character Creation DAUnderworldRPG characters are held to a high standard of guidelines, content and description. Most, if not all, current characters are constantly being used and updated. Characters can only be approved by those of 'Elder' rank, and though the base Character Sheet is used, different Elders have different expectations in terms of character design, strengths and flaws. Current and accepted DAUnderworldRPG characters (by list of Player) can be found here. Please note that occasionally you will see characters whom don't fit the tight rules we now apply. This is because the Elders ran DAURPG as a test ground for some years and some of the original characters still remain (despite some of the Elders' best efforts) and their Players are too stubborn to change them. Do not be offended if your character is not as gaudy as a current one, because although some Character Sheets seem powerful, in reality the characters will be played just like yours. Character Sheets DAUnderworld has a basic character sheet outline that Elders expect to be used. Basic information such as the character's name, gender, age, height and weight are to be expected on any character sheet that is not a direct copy of the one above. Filling Out A Character Sheet Name: Almost self-explanatory. A name is needed for your character to interact with other characters without having to resort to 'so-and-so's character', which would be an inconvenient way to refer to this persona that you have hopefully spent a modicum of time on. As a general rule, your character's name does not have to be even remotely pronounceable, nor does your character have to have more than one name if you do not wish it. If your character has a nickname he/she is commonly called, then you may wish to add this information. Age: Maybe not as self-explanatory as above, but still somewhat simple to answer. Most characters are created with an ages of less than 100 years, with some exceptions. Common-sense is required when completing this section, because with the exception of characters such as Eberel-Fen and Roland, an implausibly-aged character is unlikely to be accepted at first glance. Your character's actual age and the age their body looks are not the same thing. If you character is in their late eighties, for example, yet still looks 18, you may want to include this information to stop other roleplayers from assuming your character looks like a grandmother/grandfather. Gender: Usually Elders will accept just a simple 'male' or 'female'. If your character is of ambiguous gender, or their name is not immediately indicative of their gender, you may wish to state so, with a reason why this is relevant in the 'Personality' or 'Appearance' sections. Race: The scientific and common name of the species your character belongs to. Before you even think of asking, no you cannot become a Hybrid. They are an Elder species only. Your race will generally give other roleplayers an idea of what part of the world you are from, and some of the basic characteristics your character may portray. For example, a feline Therian may show a curiosity and flexibility that a ursine Therian may not, or a Common Vampyre may show a hostility or agression which may be absent in an Immortal. Currently accepted races are: *Therians (Shape Shifters) *Immortals *Vampyres *Lycans Please note that Lycans are different to Wolf Therians. If you are considering either of those two species, please specify. Wolf Therians are strictly quadrupedal and exhibit canid characteristics, whereas Lycans exhibit characteristics closer to Homo sapiens. Height: How tall your character is. This can be anywhere from five to seven feet, depending on gender, build and race. Please try to choose something realistic for your character's design, but an Elder may allow you leeway if you can give a good reason for it. When writing your character's height, please use feet and inches first, and then a centimeter height in curved brackets afterwards. :"Name: Mary Stevens :... :Height: 5'9" (175cm)"''' Weight: How heavy your character is. This is a reasonably flexible statistic, with a lot depending on your character's species, gender and age. A female will generally weigh less than a male, but a female ursine Therian may weigh more than a male Vampyre. When writing your character's weight, please use pounds (lb) first, and then a kilogram or stone weight in curved brackets afterwards. :"Name: Mary Stevens :... :Weight: 100lb (45kg)" Appearance: A description of what your character looks like physically. Things such as hair color, eye color, build, skin color and frequently worn clothing should be detailed here. Be as detailed as you like in this section, but keep in mind that a mini-novel about "the deep, shining sparkle of your character's sunflower blue eyes that are shadowed in darkness with every painful breath" is something that may not be appreciated to the full extent you wish it to be. Details such as, but not limited to, distinguishing marks, scars, injuries, mutations, tattoos and hair style all belong in this section. Personality: What is your character like? Are they cold to strangers? Are they disgustingly cheerful in the morning? Do they shoot first and ask questions later? This section is about the personality of your character. This will help define how your character interacts with others, and how other characters will in turn react to yours. Any personality quirks your character may possess will be detailed in this section. As with the 'Appearance' section, be as verbose as you like, but again, a mini-novel may not be appreciated by all that read your character sheet. If you do decide to be particularly detailed, remember to use paragraphing to break up your description and make it easier to be read. Most Elders will expect at least four to five lines at a minimum. Background: This section should describe how your character came to be who they are now. Information such as how/where they grew up, events that have affected their life, and a brief summary of the reasons why your character came to interact with others from the DAUnderworld environs. Current characters with lengthy backgrounds include Merry, Regan and Kira. Characters with more concise backgrounds include Roland, Drake and Josette. Both lengths are acceptable but may be subject to the Elders' discretion. Again, a particularly detailed background should be split up into paragraphs for easier reading. Weapons: Any and all weaponry your character carries or uses should be detailed here, with no exceptions. Any special characteristics or effects of your weapons must also be listed and explained here. Things to keep in mind when considering weapons: *Realistic standards - Elders will expect your weaponry to match your character's general build, personality and capabilities at least vaguely. A female character with a height of 5'6" and a weight of 8 stone using a 2 stone double-handed longsword will not be accepted. Consider the real world when writing about any weapons your character uses, as well as any special effects said weapons may have. *More than two weapons will most likely not be accepted, and you are encouraged not to even contemplate firearms. If your character uses a weapon not detailed in this section, or their weapon has a special effect that again, is not detailed in this section, you will most likely have your scene halted, and a reprimand from an Elder or other Mod. *Your character will not have access to weapons that are not detailed in this section, unless by some chance your character disarms another and uses their weapon, or picks up some form of already-existing debris to use as a weapon. *Relative skill - If your character's sole weapon is a dagger, but he/she picks up an axe in a fight scene, please do not act as if they are an expert at using it. *Weapon condition - If your Scimtar slices through someone's chainmail or plate armor during a fight, then it will be dulled from the action and will not slice through someone's leg like a hot knife through butter straight afterwards. Powers: Any character's powers will be approved on a case-by-case basis, at the sole discretion of any/all the Elders. This is not an invitation to go wild, nor an indication that no powers are permitted. Extra Info: Almost self-explanatory. Anything that you could possibly want to describe about your character, that hasn't already been described, will be under this heading. Examples include relationships to other characters (not included in 'Background', for some reason), pending or recent changes, or items that somehow don't fit under another section.♦ Submitting a Character Sheet After thinking about all the above statistics and information you need to present about your character, you've probably got a Notepad or Word document open. Once a basic character sheet has been created, DAUnderworldRPG Mods require you to submit it to your Scrapbook. This means you cannot use a character presented in a journal, nor a character who's sheet is placed at any other location. Once you hit the submit a deviation button, underneath the box to write the title for your deviation lies a 'Category' option. The only accepted DAUnderworldRPG character sheet category is 'My Scrapbook'. Any characters not found in your Scrapbook will not be considered. If you are particularly lazy, you can also follow this URL, and the category 'Scraps' will have already been chosen for you. Character Approval As earlier mentioned, your character sheet can only be approved by a member with the rank 'Elder'. Once your character sheet has been submitted to deviantArt as a scrap deviation, your next step is to bring your character sheet to the attention of an Elder. There are only three accepted ways of doing this: *Lurk in DAUnderworld until a user with the rank of Elder in the DAUnderworldRPG room comes in *Note the DAUnderworldRPG deviantArt account with a link to your character sheet *Bring your character sheet to the attention of another DAUnderworldRPG member, and politely request they pass it on Please note that doing the first suggestion is recommended, and it is not the job of other DAUnderworldRPG members to pass along a character sheet on your behalf. Different Elders have different standards that they will require your character sheet to adhere to, but on the whole they will expect a high standard of detail and explanation. Do not be offended if an Elder asks you to modify parts of your character sheet as they see fit. Also do not be offended if one Elder asks you about something that another Elder has already approved. This is their jobs. Most likely, they will tear your character apart, then ask you to rebuild it from the smoking ashes that it was. If there is an aspect of your character that can be construed as 'God-like', or overpowered, then expect to receive a request to change it. On that note, there are current characters with somewhat 'overpowered' abilities, but these have been approved while taking into consideration the skills and temperament of their Players. Characters such as Alyssandro Rosencratz, The Abomination and The Dark One have been in play for a year, and their Players are highly skilled in dealing with situations requiring the use of their abilities. Do not expect your character to be approved if you model their talents on these character sheets. Changes to Character Sheets Once a character sheet has been approved and in play for any length of time, it may come to a time where you will want to change some facet of it. Once you have changed your character sheet, no matter how trivial the detail, it must be submitted to an Elder for re-approval. Due to the high volume of scenes and events your character may participate in, it is generally accepted that every sheet will have details changed and added. Whenever you join a scene, or start a new scene with another Player, it is expected that you will read the other Player(s)' character sheet. It may have changed since your character was last in a scene with theirs, and it is always good to refresh your mind with respect to the other character's personality and temperament. There are no exceptions to this. If you are presented with a character sheet during or preceding a scene, then it is expected that you have read it. Help and Further Assistance Creating a character is not an easy thing to do, nor an easy thing to think about. If you get stuck on any section of your character sheet, or you want someone who is not an Elder to have a look at it, then the following Players may be available in DAUnderworld to give you a hand. *pyronixcore *awhisperoflight *roguequeen *ashescry *SynergicFuture *dying-lonely Please note that while these Players will be able to give you a hand, they will not be able to approve your character sheet, nor will they be able to tell you exactly what an Elder will or will not allow in your character design. They will be able to give you a rough idea of which may or may not be allowed, and what may need to be revised, but their word is not law, and their opinion will generally not be the same as the standards an Elder will uphold.